Local News

By Tehachapi News

Related Photos

Night crews work to repair the 200 feet of track that was mangled after a BNSF freight train derailed on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 10. Repairs were made and trains were using the track again by Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Bill Jones

After more than 200 feet of track was mangled due to a BNSF freight train derailment earlier this week, repairs were made and trains have been using the track again since Wednesday afternoon.

Special Agent Lee Henning of Union Pacific said seven cars left the tracks somewhere between 6 and 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

The train appeared to be westbound and the engine of the train had emerged from one tunnel while the end of the train was through another tunnel to the east and three railcars were sideways across the track while another had fallen completely off the track.

Train tracks in the area hug the side of the mountain just south of the Highway 58 through the Tehachapi Pass. The area of the derailment was about eight miles east of the famous Tehachapi Loop.

About a 70-foot length of track was lying mangled down the side of the mountain below the railbed when the incident occurred.

Kern County Sheriff and Fire Department responded to the derailment but had left the scene by about 7:45 a.m.

The cause of the derailment is not yet known. Henning said no hazardous materials were on the train.